Goodbye
by John Silver fan
Summary: Lucius finds Severus' body and bids farewell to his friend.


Lucius Malfoy turned as Voldemort apprated in front of his followers with his snake, Nagini. He didn't, however, see Severus Snape.

"My Lord, where is Severus?" he asked, keeping his tone submissive.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about Severus anymore, Lucius."

The blond aristocrat paled. He turned and all but ran for the boathouse, ignoring his wife's cries to come back. He rushed in and stared in shock.

"No."

Narcissa Malfoy broke into a run when she saw her husband drop from her sight. She ran into the boathouse only to freeze in horror.

Severus Snape lay slumped against the window covered in his own blood, which also pooled around him. He had always been pale, but now he was white. The only sound was Lucius' ragged breathing as he stared at his friend.

"S-Severus," he choked out.

A normally strong man, Lucius was fighting back tears. Narcissa knelt at Severus' other side and gently closed his lifeless eyes.

"May you find peace, Severus," she whispered, her own voice choked by unshed tears.

Lucius slowly took one of the potions master's hands, cold and lifeless. He finally let his tears fall and wept for the man who had been his best friend. Once he regained control he looked at his wife.

"We'll get Draco then come back. I won't leave him here."

She nodded.

"I would never ask you to."

Once they returned with Draco, Lucius stopped his son.

"Wait. You... you shouldn't see him,... not like this. I'll bring him out."

Draco knew something was wrong by what his father said but said nothing against it. Lucius went in and cast a cleaning charm on the floor and Severus' clothes, but he couldn't bring himself to do it to his friend's body. He knelt, conjured a bucket, filled it what water, conjured a rag, wet it, and began gently cleaning the blood from the potions master's neck. He made a soft choked sound at the sight of the slash running down the left side of his friend's neck and the bite marks from Nagini on the right side. Finally he finished, lifted Snape into his arms, and walked out of the boathouse.

Draco blanched at the sight of his godfather. The man had seemed almost a pillar of strength to him throughout his life, and now,... now he was lifeless in his father's arms.

"Uncle Sev," he choked.

Narcissa hugged her son. Like his father, he had been closer to Severus than her, but of the family it was Lucius who had been closest to the raven haired man.

"We'll take him home and bury him, in the garden,... no magic."

"I... I think he'd like that, Father."

Lucius forced a half-hearted, sad smile to his son.

"Wait!"

"Potter?" Draco said as they all turned around.

Harry came towards them with Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley.

"Bring him back to Hogwarts first. I told everyone how he was a spy for Dumbledore and has been helping and protecting us."

"What?!" Narcissa and Draco exclaimed.

Lucius remained silent, looking down at his friend's face.

"You already knew, didn't you, Mr. Malfoy?"

"He told me, before he went to... to him last night. I think... I think he knew. I think he knew he was going to die."

Harry nodded sadly, and the group returned to Hogwarts. Everyone was gathered in the Entrance Courtyard. Minerva McGonagall approached them first and transfigured a rock into an altar.

"Lay him there, Lucius."

He reluctantly set his friend on the altar.

"Perhaps a few words? Anyone?"

No one moved or spoke. Snape had never really been liked, but few students had actually _truly_ wished harm or death upon him.

"Professor Snape was a hero, more so than any of us here. Ever since Voldemort's return he lived in grave danger every day, fearing he would be discovered as a spy for Professor Dumbledore. The things we called him, 'evil', 'murderer', 'coward', none of those things are true. Though it was never obvious, he protected us, all of us, every day, even when we hated him. He may not have been nice, or gentle, or understanding, but he was protective, pushed for his students to be their best, and above all... he was brave. He was the bravest man I've ever known, even if I didn't know until it was too late," Harry said.

"Severus had the greatest strength of any Death Eater. He had love. He understood and felt unconditional love. It drove his actions. Not protected or sheltered as a child himself, he vowed to shelter and protect each and every one of his students, no matter their House, and he did until he no longer could. I will always honor that part of his memory."

Many people nodded in agreement with Harry and Lucius.

"We will deal with the repairs here, take care of Severus," McGonagall told the Malfoys.

"May I come along?"

They nodded. It was a somber group that arrived at the Malfoy Manor, consisting of Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. Together, Lucius, Draco, Harry, and Ron dug the grave while Narcissa and Hermione made the headstone. Finally they lay Snape in the grave and buried him. They set the headstone up and looked at it. It read;

'**Here lies Severus Snape. ****January 9, 1960-****May 2, 1998**

**A potions master. A teacher.**

**A friend. A spy. A protector.**

**A hero.**

**Always**.'

And above his name was a doe, his Patronus. The six bowed their heads in a moment of silence and respect for the man who had been the quiet hero in the war, who had protected his charges with his life and had died still protecting them.

Harry fought to see that Snape got the recognition and respect he deserved and for his portrait to be put into the Headmaster's office alongside Albus Dumbledore's, the only man who had ever given more to Hogwarts than Snape.

Severus Snape would be forever remembered in the wizarding world, the silent hero who worked in the shadows but was the bravest of all the Second Wizarding War heroes.

* * *

**Okay, I've been dishing out stories, but I've been writing on Wattpad for a while since for some reason I couldn't login here.**


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